The people you'll sit across from.

Karen starts most first meetings the same way: she puts her pen down and asks what's been keeping you up at night. She has a gift for turning a shoebox of statements into one clear page, and for explaining it without making anyone feel behind. Clients say she remembers their grandchildren's names before they do. On weekends she's usually on the Lakeshore Path with a thermos.

Jon is the advisor who'll draw your whole situation on a legal pad, boxes and arrows, and slide it across the table so you can keep it. He likes the questions people are a little embarrassed to ask, and he answers them without a hint of a lecture. He's careful, patient, and quick to laugh. He coaches his daughter's youth soccer team on the east side.

Rosa is good at the moment when two people at the table want slightly different things. She makes room for both, writes both down, and builds a plan that holds them. She's precise with paperwork and plain with words, and she'll tell you when something can simply wait. Most summer Saturdays you'll find her at the farmers' market on the Square.

Ben follows up. If you mention a question on your way out the door, expect an email about it before the end of the week. He's calm, organized and good with the details that hide in old accounts and forgotten forms. He grew up in Wisconsin and spends his winter weekends ice fishing on Mendota, with mixed results.

Amy believes a plan you can't explain to your own family isn't finished yet. She writes things down in words a teenager could follow, and she's happy to sit down with your grown children when the time comes. She's warm, steady and unhurried in a meeting. She sings in a community choir on the near east side.

Theo is the one to call when you'd rather meet on video, share your screen and work through it together. He's patient with people who feel they've left things too late, and he keeps the next step small enough to actually take. He's thoughtful, quiet and very good at listening. He bikes to the office year-round, which his colleagues consider a little much.